1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system including an information processing apparatus and a peripheral device such as a printer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique that provides a method for controlling the peripheral device from the information processing apparatus in the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a system in which a peripheral device is connected to an information processing system using various interfaces, e.g., a universal serial bus (USB), Ethernet, and wireless local area network (LAN), is effectively used in various environments such as the home and the office. Examples of the peripheral device are a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, a scanner, a digital camera, and an apparatus that integrally includes functions of such devices.
A new function for managing the peripheral device connected to the information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (PC) is included in Windows® 7. More specifically, Windows® 7 includes Device Stage® having a function for linking a Devices and printers folder, i.e., a window for displaying the devices connected to the PC, to an application or service unique to each peripheral device. The Devices and printers folder screen can be displayed from a start menu of Windows®. A Device Stage® screen of each peripheral device can then be opened from the Device and Printers folder. The Device Stage® can provide a visual screen, and a user can easily access a function or a service related to the device from the screen.
For example, a link to an application capable of performing photo printing may be provided from a task (i.e., a button) in the Device Stage® screen. In such a case, the application capable of performing photo printing is activated from the Device Stage® screen, and the photo printing is performed using the peripheral device (e.g., a multifunction peripheral (MFP)). Further, the link for opening a print setting screen of a printer driver or a read setting screen of a scanner driver may be provided from the Device Stage® screen. Furthermore, the user can easily access a site related to the peripheral device by including in the Device Stage® screen the link to a support site on the Internet provided by a manufacturer. Hereinafter, a screen such as the Device Stage® screen for managing the peripheral device will be referred to as a device management screen.
A display language of Windows® 7 Operating System (hereinafter referred to as OS) is different depending on a sales area of the OS. For example, if the sales area is Japan, the display language of the OS is generally Japanese, and if the sales area is the United States, the display language is generally English. Further, in the case of an OS environment of Windows® 7 Ultimate, which is the top stock-keeping unit (SKP) of Windows® 7, the languages to be used can be increased by installing a Language Pack distributed by Windows® Update via the Internet. For example, if the user installs a Japanese Language Pack in an English OS, the user can use the OS by switching between two languages, i.e., English and Japanese. The user can switch between the languages by performing an operation described below.    (1) Open “control panel” from a start menu    (2) Click “change display language”    (3) Select the display language
However, since it is less likely for Windows® 7 Ultimate to be used compared to other SKUs, most of the users using Windows® 7 cannot use the Language Pack. Such users thus use the OS of the language used in the area of residence.
Windows® 7 Device Stage® is displayed using the same language as the display language of the OS. For example, if the Device Stage® screen is activated on the Japanese OS, the language of character strings attached to buttons indicating each task in the Device Stage® screen is displayed in Japanese. On the other hand, if the Device Stage® screen is activated on the English OS, the language of the character strings attached to the buttons indicating each task in the Device Stage® screen is displayed in English. Similar results are acquired when the user installs the Language Pack. For example, if the user installs a Spanish Language Pack on the English OS and the user selects Spanish as the display language of the OS, the language of the character strings attached to the buttons indicating each task in the Device Stage® screen is displayed in Spanish.
Further, each of vendors (i.e., independent hardware vendor (IHV) or independent software vendor (ISV)) distributes drivers for controlling the peripheral devices and the applications used in the peripheral devices. The vendors generally distribute the drivers and the applications via the Internet. Many of the drivers and the applications accommodate multiple languages, and the user can switch the display language via a user interface of the driver or the application. The user can thus easily use the driver or the application using the native language of the user, unlike the above-described case of the OS. For example, the user living outside the home country may use the OS using the language used in the area of residence, and the driver or application using the mother language of the user as the display language. In other words, the user uses the driver or the application in the language other than the language used in the area of residence. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-85132 also discusses such a conventional example using another technique.
It is assumed as described above that a user living outside the home country may use the OS using the language of the area of residence and the driver or application using the mother language as the display language. The user thus uses the driver or the application in the language other than the language used in the area of residence. The user may then open the print setting screen of the printer driver, the read setting screen of the scanner driver, or activate a photo print application from the task (i.e., a button) in the device management screen. In such a case, if the language used in the area of residence is English and the mother language of the user is Japanese, the character string attached to each task (button) in the device management screen are displayed in English.
However, the print setting screen of the printer driver, the read setting screen of the scanner driver, and the screen of the photo print application displayed when each task is executed are displayed in Japanese. The user may thus become confused, and user-friendliness becomes low.
Further, there may be a case where the print setting screen of the printer driver is displayed in Japanese, and the photo print application does not accommodate Japanese or English and is thus displayed in Spanish. In such a case, the character string attached to each task (button) in the device management screen is displayed in English. However, if the task for displaying the print setting screen of the printer driver is executed, the print setting screen is displayed in Japanese. Further, if the task for activating the photo print application is executed, the application is activated and displayed in Spanish. The user may thus become confused, so that the user-friendliness becomes low.